1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of dentistry. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved dental dam wherein the clamp is integrally formed with the sheet material and is adhesively securable to the tooth to be clamped.
2. Prior Art
The field of dentistry has been using different means of isolating teeth from saliva, other teeth, tongue, etc. for 50 years or more. Such isolation is advantageous because it helps to avoid the patient's saliva contaminating the work area and restoring material and additionally prevents debris from tooth preparation or the like from being distributed around the mouth of the patient.
Traditionally, rubber dams are mounted in the patients mouth with a metal clamp. The metal clamp is installed first on a suitable anchor tooth and then the rubber dam is stretched around the metal clamp and allowed to slide thereunder whereupon the dam is held securely in place.
Although metal clamps are effective for their intended purpose they can cause discomfort to the patient without anesthesia being administered and can be difficult to work with. The clamps are small but are large enough to obstruct a patient's airway should they be dropped therein The placement of metal clamps is also time consuming which is undesirable to both patient and doctor. Time is consumed by the need to tie a "safety line" of floss to each clamp used for withdrawal from the patient's airway if the clamp falls therein.
Moreover time is consumed by the usual need to try several different sizes before a suitable size is determined. Another drawback to conventional metal clamps is that the height of contour of a tooth cannot always be reached which means that a stable placement of the metal clamp is impossible. Trauma to soft tissues is yet another problem associated with metal clamps. The metal clamp can press into the soft gingival tissue and do temporary or even permanent damage thereto. Finally, metal clamps tend to restrict access to the clamped tooth and therefore hinder the dental procedure being undertaken. Because of this, dams are not always employed when indicated. The art, then, is in need of an improvement in this technology.